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Home -> Vayeilech -> 5783

ויצו משה את הלוים... לקח את ספר התורה הזה ושמתם אותו מצד ארון ברית ד' אלקיכם והיה שם בך לעד

Sruly Schnair
In 5783, Vayeilech

Moshe commanded the Leviim… take the Book of the Torah and place it at the side of the Aron of the Covenant of Hashem, Your G-d, and it shall be there for you as a witness. (31:25,26)

Why were the Leviim the ones commanded to place the Sefer Torah next to/or inside the Aron? While it may be true that a Yisrael was not permitted entry into the Kodesh HaKodoshim, Holy of Holies, where the Aron was situated, neither were the Kohanim and Leviim permitted entry. Indeed, the only one who was allowed into the Kodesh HaKodoshim was the Kohen Gadol on Yom Kippur. Otherwise, it was off-limits to everyone. As such, why were the Leviim singled out? Obviously, this was a one-time dispensation. If so, our question still stands. Why was Shevet Levi chosen above anyone…

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Home -> 5783 -> Ki Savo

ולקחת מראשית כל פרי האדמה אשר תביא מארצך

Sruly Schnair
In Ki Savo, 5783

That you shall take of the first of every fruit of the ground that you bring in from your land. (26:2)

The mitzvah of Bikkurim, bringing the first fruits to the Bais Hamikdash, teaches us the significance of hakoras hatov, recognizing the good/benefits we receive and paying gratitude to our benefactor – which, in the case of Bikkurim, is Hashem. While anyone who possesses a modicum of common sense understands the importance of gratitude, we do not realize how far the obligation for gratitude goes and how one who does not live with hakoras hatov as a way of life is considered a deficient human being. The Ramchal (Mesillas Yesharim 8) underscores the importance of every human being aware of and…

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Home -> 5783 -> Ki Savo

וירעו אותנו המצרים

Sruly Schnair
In Ki Savo, 5783

The Egyptians mistreated us. (26:6)

The Egyptians were cruel to us, making us suffer and imposing harsh slavery on us. We cried to G-d, G-d of our ancestors, and He heard our voice; he saw our suffering, our harsh labor, and our distress. (26:6,7) Interestingly, Chazal (quoted in the Haggadah) interpret each of the latter phrases: our suffering; our harsh labor; and our distress. They appear, however, to have ignored the beginning of the pasuk, Va’yareiu osanu ha’Mitzrim, “The Egyptians were cruel to us, making us suffer and imposing harsh slavery on us.” In the Haggadah, the second part of the pasuk is explained as…

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Home -> 5783 -> Ki Savo

ושמחת בכל הטוב... אתה והלוי

Sruly Schnair
In Ki Savo, 5783

You shall be glad with all the goodness… you and the Levi. (26:11)

When the Jew celebrates his good fortune, he must see to it that the Levi, who does not have a designated portion in Eretz Yisrael, is included. Rashi comments that the Levis’ dispensation concerning the Bikkurim, the first fruits, applies only as long as the Leviim do not plant produce in the designated Arei Ha’Leviim, cities set aside for the Leviim. If his plantings yield produce, he must take the first fruits and bring them to the Bais Hamikdash. Implied from this halachah is that, even though Shevet Levi was not enslaved in Egypt as were his brethren, he is…

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Home -> 5783 -> Ki Seitzei

לא יבא עמוני ומואבי בקהל ד'... על דבר אשר לא קדמו אתכם בלחם ובמים... ואשר שכר עליך בלעם בן בעור

Sruly Schnair
In Ki Seitzei, 5783

Neither an Amoni nor a Moavi may enter the congregation of Hashem… because they did not greet you with bread and water… and because he hired Bilaam ben Beor. (23:4,5)

Even if an Amoni or Moavi converts to Judaism, he/she is still forever barred from marrying a Jewish woman. Our bloodlines may not become tainted by the males of these two nations. The Torah states two reasons, both of which, on the surface, seem not to fit the punishment. They did not greet us with bread and water when we traveled through the wilderness and came close to their land. While this may manifest a lack of mentchlichkeit, it is only a moral flaw. Should a deficiency in moral stature demand such punishment? Furthermore, we believe that, over time, if…

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Home -> 5783 -> Ki Seitzei

לא תתעב אדמי כי אחיך הוא לא תתעב מצרי כי גר היית בארצו... דור שלישי יבא להם בקהל ד'

Sruly Schnair
In Ki Seitzei, 5783

You shall not reject an Edomi, for he is your brother; you shall not reject an Egyptian, for you were a sojourner in his land… the third generation may enter the congregation of Hashem. (23:8,9)

Understandably, we would not want to accept the children of a convert from those nations who have persecuted us. The Torah’s line of thinking is different than ours. Hashem has enjoined us to take a positive view of the descendants of these nations. Edom is “family,” and Egypt provided food and lodging for Yaakov Avinu and his family. What happened later is a different story. It does not absolve us of the obligation to show gratitude. Nonetheless, it takes three generations after conversion for their base nature to be expunged. The Sefer HaChinuch explains the shoresh, root, of this mitzvah….

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Home -> 5783 -> Ki Seitzei

אשר קרך בדרך ויזנב בך כל הנחשלים אחריך ואתה עוף ויגע ולא ירא אלקים

Sruly Schnair
In Ki Seitzei, 5783

That he happened upon you on the way, and he struck those of you who were hindermost, all the weaklings at your rear, when you were faint and exhausted, and did not fear G-d. (25:18)

We must endeavor to understand in what area Amalek stood out from among all of the other nations who were our enemies. Indeed, we had no friends – only those who paid lip service out of fear, but certainly not out of love or admiration. We were always tolerated, rarely respected, and hardly ever admired. This is quite possibly out of envy. We are Hashem’s chosen people who have, despite the greatest odds and untold persecution, survived and thrived, growing, contributing and not acting obsequiously. We have a noble heritage and an exalted destiny. We do not bow to anyone…

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Home -> 5783 -> Ki Seitzei

אשר קרך בדרך

Sruly Schnair
In Ki Seitzei, 5783

Who chanced upon you on the way. (25:18)

Rashi comments, “Amalek cooled you off from your burning heat.” The nations feared the Jewish People, thus, they distanced themselves from any altercation with them. Amalek assuaged their fears. This may be compared to a scalding hot bath which everyone fears entering. Suddenly, one man comes along and jumps in. He is scalded, but now others no longer fear the bath. He “cooled” it off for others. The analogy seems incorrect. On the contrary, once the people observe the burn status of the man who jumped in, they will surely stay away. Likewise, once the nations saw what happened to…

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Home -> 5783 -> Shoftim

ולא ירבה לו נשים ולא יסור לבבו

Sruly Schnair
In Shoftim, 5783

And he (the Melech Yisrael, Jewish king) shall not have too many wives, so that his heart will not turn him astray. (17:17)

Apparently, with his extraordinary wisdom, Shlomo Hamelech felt that this prohibition did not apply to him. He had his reasons for marrying seven-hundred wives and keeping three-hundred concubines. The Torah teaches that numerous wives would have an adverse effect on the king’s exclusive devotion to Hashem. Shlomo felt that he could rise above the prohibition and its consequences. He was wrong. While all this is history, why did Shlomo fail? His superior wisdom should have protected him. When he said, “I will have many wives, and they will not sway me from my utter devotion to Hashem,” he knew what…

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Home -> 5783 -> Shoftim

מי האיש הירא ורך הלבב ילך וישב לביתו

Sruly Schnair
In Shoftim, 5783

Who is the man who is fearful and fainthearted? Let him go and return to his house. (20:8)

Chazal (Sotah 44a) cite two opinions concerning the fearful and fainthearted soldier who must return home from the battlefield, lest his distress demoralize the other soldiers. Rabbi Akiva is of the opinion that the Torah is referring to the cowardly person, who, after the Kohen’s assurances of Hashem’s support in the battlefield, is still overwhelmed with apprehension. He will have a negative effect on others. Let him go home and relax – if he can. His faith in Hashem is, at best, weak, and thus, not deserving of a miracle that he survive the battle. Rabbi Yosi HaGlili contends that…

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